"Story of a Life" is a song written and performed by

Harry Chapin Harold Forster Chapin (; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s. Chapin, a Grammy A ...

, from the album ''

Sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

''. The song is the final single released from the album, and Chapin's final single before his death in July 1981. When released, it became a hit on the ''Billboard''

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

. Peaking at 105, it stayed on the chart for five weeks making all three singles from the album hits. It has been included on numerous anthology releases.

Background

When talking about the song, Chapin says that he wrote it in a romantic mood. He explains that he came up with the song when he was flying home in a jet when there was a storm and his life flashed before his eyes.

Chart performance

Different versions

The song has an alternate version that was previously unreleased. The alternate version was released on the Onwards and Upwards album.

Other uses

*Harry's brother,

Tom Chapin Tom Chapin (born March 13, 1945) is an American musician, entertainer, singer-songwriter, and storyteller. Chapin is known for the song " Happy Birthday", released in 1989 in his ''Moonboat'' album. It takes its melody from "Love Unspoken", a so ...

covered the song. *It was included on the Lies and Legends cast recording.

References

{{Harry Chapin 1981 songs Harry Chapin songs Songs written by Harry Chapin